1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filament winding apparatus and a method for replacing a hoop winding device of a filament winding apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional filament winding apparatus winds a fiber bundle impregnated with resin around an outer peripheral surface of a liner. The filament winding apparatus includes a hoop winding device that winds the fiber bundle around the outer peripheral surface of the liner by rotating with the liner as a center (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-61721).
The hoop winding device includes bobbins around which the fiber bundle is wound, and winds the fiber bundle supplied from the bobbins around the liner by rotating. Thus, a need to interrupt the winding operation of the fiber bundle and replace the bobbins arises when the fiber bundle wound around the bobbins becomes scarce.
However, if the winding operation of the fiber bundle is interrupted and the bobbins are replaced, a considerable time is required until resuming the winding operation of the fiber bundle, which degrades production efficiency.